by M. O. McLeod
10.
Eat to Kill
The four men walked against the dawn’s light. The city of Alexandria was slowly awakening, and with that came the birds chirping, the hustle and bustle, but most importantly, the Phantoms hiding in plain sight.
“I still say a gym is too risky,” Kosner said. “We’re going to stick out even more. We have on all these clothes, and the other people are going to be in their fitness gear and running shoes, and showing skin.”
VIN had suggested another gym to the guys because he knew that kind of place would be open early, if not twenty-four hours. “Kosner, you said an all-night café. Everybody knows an all-night café will have cameras, and I for one don’t want to be on camera doing what we do.”
Santino had a better spot in mind. He wanted an open place, outside where no one would be looking and no cameras were rolling. He wanted a public area that was out of the way but still had traffic flow in the early morning—a common area like a park. He knew there would be people out jogging in groups of twos or maybe even solo. One person was enough to tempt Leon, and that was all it would take to keep him on their side—and quiet.
“I think we should go down to that park over by Venness Lake. There are a lot of runners and a basketball court,” he suggested. It fit the bill perfectly.
VIN agreed, and Kosner seemed to stop worrying.
Leon walked in front of them, as Santino had ordered him to, and was told to keep walking until they said otherwise. He caught some of their words but remained quiet. He hadn’t seen any cops patrolling the area by Trinidad’s gym. In fact they had walked at least three miles and Leon had seen no one that might have been able to help him escape the three men behind him. There’d been a bakery clerk who’d looked out of his shop’s window but had quickly gone back to stacking bagels and croissants. Leon had wanted to scream out to a taxi driver who’d stopped at a red light but then lost his courage because he saw the man was on the phone and wasn’t paying any attention to him.
Leon was scared of what the others were going to make him do. They didn’t have any weapons to speak of; Leon was so scared of their sheer size and force, he did as he was told. In any other instance he would have told them off, but there were too many of them and not enough of him.
“So what do you think about this guy? I don’t think he has what it takes to be one of us,” Kosner whispered so Leon couldn’t hear him.
Santino laughed at him. “If I remember correctly, you were the one screaming and crying your first couple of hours. But seriously, I don’t think he’s as used to the idea as we are, and it’s causing a major problem.”
“Yeah, he could spill the beans at any moment. I’m sure they’ve found his girl back at that Goodwill,” VIN added. “I just pray they don’t link that death with all those cops we killed back at that apartment complex.”
Santino knew better. All the cops had to do was identify the most recent deaths and compare the causes and bingo—it was a clear pattern that all the bodies were mutilated and masticated by something. Santino believed that whoever was investigating the deaths would have more trouble trying to figure out what had killed them.
“Leon, turn right onto MLK Drive, and the park should be on the left,” Santino yelled up to the front.
Santino felt the stares of the people in cars and on bikes as they passed, and was relieved when he and his group reached the park’s entrance. Tristipher Lee Park was known for its excessive bike tracks and its winding jogging lanes. There were several tennis courts and two grand basketball courts surrounded by bleachers on all sides. The grounds could be reserved for parties, and several charity events were thrown in Tristipher Lee Hall. The park had an indoor swimming pool, a sauna, and a gym. Santino knew all of this because he had spent many summers in the MYO program, which took inner-city kids and introduced them to sports and activities.
“I thought we came here to hunt, not shoot hoops,” Leon said. “Seems like a good time to play, though. The courts aren’t that crowded.”
Santino looked at the outdoor court and saw four guys playing a two-on-two game.
“You seeing what I am seeing?” VIN asked the other two.
Santino’s stomach growled in response.
“Remember,” Kosner said, “we eat to kill and kill to eat unless someone wants to Phantom-sit a newborn.”
“That was a good one, Kosner,” VIN remarked.
Santino said, “Leon, come with me.”
Leon slowed his walk and waited for Santino and the others to catch up. He felt his armpits sweating and his heart accelerating. He could smell a scent in the air but couldn’t identify exactly what it was. His eyed lingered on the men on the courts. They didn’t look appetizing to him.
Santino instructed Kosner and VIN to go around the west bleachers and wait for him. “I need to prep Leon for this one. I think I’m going to have to cut off the pieces and spoon feed him.”
“When the action happens, we’ll be right there,” VIN assured him. “Do we kill anyone who gets away?”
“No,” Santino answered. “We won’t be able to keep this secret up for long, especially if Leon isn’t going to work with us. Let them go if they run, all except one. We only need one.”
“Got it, boss,” Kosner agreed.
The two men walked off together and headed for the west bleachers to hide out from the sun’s light. Santino turned to Leon and hoped his underling would have enough sense to listen to his body’s needs. Leon had to be hungry, especially with these humans around. Santino could smell them and couldn’t wait to feed. He didn’t understand how Leon could ignore it.
“Leon, it’s time, my friend.” Santino tried to make his deep voice sound cheery. “I’ll attack, and all you have to do is eat if you want to. If you don’t feel the urge to join in then you don’t have too.”
Leon nodded in his in agreement.
“If they try to attack you then you need to avoid them at all cost, otherwise you risk turning them into Phantoms. If you don’t want blood on your hands, do not touch the humans. If you touch them, you must kill them. Understood?”
Leon put some bravado in his tone. “Yes, I understand.”
“Follow me.”
Santino led him down to the courts in broad daylight, feeling sure of himself now. He didn’t want to kill, but he couldn’t repeatedly ignore his body’s needs. He planned to take down the weakest-looking guy he saw. As in the animal kingdom, Santino would spot the easiest prey and feast.
He came around from the south bleachers and walked onto the courts. He made quick strides over to the guys and didn’t hear the game skip one beat. They were so busy in their competition that they didn’t notice a six-foot-three guy approaching them. Leon was right next to him. Santino could easily catch him if he tried to run off, but he didn’t.
Santino felt bad for the guy with the Bulldog sweatshirt on. He singled him out because the guy had skinny legs and knock knees; he wouldn’t be able to outrun Santino. He took a deep breath and steadied his hands as he walked directly into the guy’s path, reached for his neck, twisted, and turned. Santino heard the neck pop and the muscles snap. The ball bounced a beat and rolled away. Santino let the man drop under his own weight and then looked at the three remaining guys. They looked shocked and perplexed about what to do.
Santino felt Leon move a bit, and he grabbed his arm to steady him.
Two guys lunged at Santino, and the last one tried to pull his friend’s body away as he screamed for help. Santino swerved around the two men and reached the third one, who was trying to steal his food. Santino went for the kill. He had no choice. He shoved his fist into the third guy’s chest and broke through the skin, muscle, and bone to clamp his hand around the guy’s beating heart. He felt the blood squish between his fingers before he pulled the red-hot organ from its owner. Santino heard screams and shouts and saw the ot
her two men running away.
VIN shot out from the bleachers. At the sight of the blood, his mind went crazy, and he had to have some. But he didn’t want Santino’s kill—he wanted his own. He didn’t want to share his food and wait around for the best parts to be taken.
He chased after one guy in sweats and caught up to him quickly. He could hear the guy’s lungs heaving in and out as he tried to escape his doom. VIN reached out and snatched the back of the man’s shirt, and pulled him into a bear hug as he bit into the soft neck. The man screamed. VIN saw the fourth guy running, he then looked behind him, stumbled, and got up and ran off at neck-breaking speed.
“Your buddy left you to die,” VIN said as he chewed a mouthful. “Now you’re all mine.”
“Drag him behind the bleachers,” Santino yelled to VIN, then picked one of the men off the ground as Kosner pulled the other up from the asphalt. Inside the bleachers everything was cool and dim. The grass had a yellowish color because it didn’t get much sun, and grew red with blood as VIN tore into his kill, oblivious to Kosner, Santino, and Leon.
“You made it through the blood sport. How do you feel?” Santino asked Leon.
Leon looked deathly white and damp. The dark veins on his face made him even more grotesque. Out of all of the Phantoms, he looked the worst. He felt so empty and drained. He didn’t know if it was because of the stress or the lack of food, but he felt like hell.
Santino opened his huge hand and there was the heart, deep red and dripping blood. Leon looked away, but finally realized where that intriguing aroma was coming from. He wanted to cry, to throw something, to tear his clothes off and run away. How could he go on living a regular life if he secretly loved eating people? Just thinking it disgusted him. Still, his head turned back to the heart as if an imaginary string was pulling it. He whimpered in defiance. He was stronger than this, stronger than them. He knew it.
Kosner patiently waited for Leon to crack like the nut that he was. It was insane of Leon to think he was better than them, that he somehow was special and wouldn’t have to do the same things all the other guys had to do. Kosner came up with a name for Leon while he waited: Looney Leon. He smiled to himself at the thought of it.
Santino bit into the heart. His hunger took over, and he was done being an instructor for the day. If Leon wanted to resist then he could do so, and leave while he was at it. But Leon didn’t leave, so that meant that he was hungry and was just trying to stall.
As soon as Santino started chowing down, Leon’s willpower toppled like dominoes. He dragged himself over to the dead body.
Santino smiled proudly, showing his bloody teeth. “That’s my boy!”
He told Leon what the best parts were on the body and how to use his nails and teeth to break through the bones. Leon was a natural and quickly took to biting at the ribs.
“So it’s settled. Leon is a part of the squad, and that’s final.” Kosner clapped his hands and dug into the third guy.
“Cheers,” screamed VIN with food dangling from his mouth.
11.
The Blue-Winged Thing